Eagle-Eyed Fans Just Spotted an Unfortunate Mistake on Magneto’s Doomsday Figure, But Will Hasbro Fix It?
The return of Ian McKellen’s Magneto for Avengers: Doomsday is incredibly exciting, but there’s already an unfortunate issue with some of the movie’s merchandising regarding the character. The first movie of the Multiverse Saga’s epic two-part conclusion, Avengers: Doomsday, is shaping up to be one of the MCU’s most exciting releases for years, with numerous Marvel movie heroes already confirmed as returning. The film will not just feature the heroes and villains of the MCU, but will incorporate characters from other Marvel franchises, with the most high-profile additions being the return of several figures from Fox’s original X-Men trilogy. Among these characters, Magneto is one of the most highly-anticipated, as he is set to finally make his MCU debut.
However, Magneto’s return has already been lightly tainted by one eagle-eyed fan, who has shared an unfortunate realization regarding Hasbro’s Magneto tie-in figure for Avengers: Doomsday. Shared in a post on X, the fan has pointed out that Magneto’s legs are identical in shape and design to those of another Hasbro Marvel figure, the villain Red Skull. The problem with this is that Red Skull is a Nazi, while a key part of Magneto’s backstory is that he is a survivor of the Holocaust. The issue seems to stem from a simple oversight, but it’s an incredibly unfortunate mistake nonetheless.
There’s A Good Reason For Hasbro’s Magneto Figure Issue, But They Should Still Fix It
As many of the replies to the original tweet pointed out, there’s a very good reason for the unfortunate mistake. It’s common practice for companies like Hasbro to reuse parts, as the costs involved in creating entirely new figures from scratch every time would see prices climb ridiculously high. Even so, considering the nature of Magneto’s Marvel story, the decision to reuse the same leg parts that were used for the Red Skull was a pretty terrible mistake to make.
The reasons for the issue might be easy to explain and understand, but that doesn’t mean fans are wrong for voicing their problem with the Magneto figure. Hasbro may not have intended to cause any offence, but the unfortunate connection between the figures of Holocaust survivor Magneto and established Nazi villain Red Skull must be addressed. The ways in which Hasbro can set about fixing the issue range from the simple yet ineffective to the complex and costly.
As we’re now mere months away from the release of Avengers: Doomsday, it’s all but certain that Hasbro will have already manufactured an entire run of Magneto figures with Red Skull legs. The easiest way to address the problem is by issuing a formal apology explaining the oversight, but this may not be enough to appease some. The most comprehensive fix would be to completely redesign the Magneto figures with new legs, but this would be an incredibly expensive undertaking. It puts Hasbro in an untenable situation, but hopefully the issue will be addressed and resolved quickly so fans can get back to being excited about Avengers: Doomsday landing in theaters.
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